by Julie Barker On an especially wet and moody, quintessential Tacoma evening in November 2022, I fell in love in more ways than one. I was enrolled in a class at the University of Washington Tacoma titled Tacoma Music History. Ever the extra-credit enthusiast, I found myself climbing the Spanish Steps of the historic, recently... Continue Reading →
-- by Kim Davenport A few years back, I spent a good portion of my free time researching 'booster songs' about Tacoma, in preparation for a talk I gave in August of 2017. In the early decades of the 20th century, booster songs were published in cities around America as musical representations of civic pride.... Continue Reading →
-- by Kim Davenport For her final paper in my Musical History of Tacoma class this past Spring, UW Tacoma student Sunny Cada explored the vital role that music played in helping along the desegregation of the US military, specifically citing the example of musician Meltarrus Washington. Sergeant Meltarrus "Mel" Washington (1919-2007) came to Fort Lewis in... Continue Reading →
-- by Kim Davenport A research project in my 'Musical History of Tacoma' class gave UW Tacoma student Tyler Wicke the opportunity to learn more about his own family's legacy of musical activity in Tacoma. In his paper and presentation, Tyler shares what he learned about how Jazz first became popular in Tacoma, as well... Continue Reading →
-- by Kim Davenport In a career now spanning four decades, Tacoma native Diane Schuur has shared with audiences worldwide her love of American jazz. The grammy winner known for her "pitch-perfect execution and crystalline, three-and-a-half-octave vocal range" has collaborated on stage and in recordings with a wide range of prominent musicians from a variety... Continue Reading →
Armed with a story from Michael Sullivan about railroads, prohibition and jazz in Tacoma and Seattle, UW Tacoma student Robb Todd dove head first into his research project for the 'Musical History of Tacoma' class, making several interesting discoveries along the way. Quoting from Todd's paper: "For Tacoma, there existed three catalysts that propelled Tacoma... Continue Reading →
Tacoma Music History 